Context: A group of archaeologists gathered at a mound in the southern part of the 18-acre Ratnagiri Buddhist heritage site in Odisha’s Jajpur district to unearth the artifacts from beneath the surface. The most significant discovery is the 1.4-metre-tall Buddha head.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Ratnagiri Buddhist site; Vajrayana Buddhism.
About the site
- Ratnagiri, which means ‘hills of jewels’ in Odia, is located on a hillock in the Assia hill range in Jajpur and encircled by the rivers Brahmani, Kimiria, and Birupa and their tributaries. The village is situated around 100 km from Bhubaneswar and is part of the ‘Diamond Triangle’, a collection of three Buddhist sites — Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri — located in a 10-km radius.
- Based on the findings from sculptural and epigraphic remains, the earliest Buddhist settlement at Ratnagiri has been estimated to have begun in the 5th century AD. The site flourished until the 13th century.
Findings
- A copper plate charter of Somavamsi King Karna, confirming the site was a centre for Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism).
- Three sculpted heads of varying sizes.
- A monolithic elephant sculpture.
- Hundreds of votive stupas, ranging from simple to highly ornamented.
- Brick and stone masonry structures have also been discovered during the excavation.
- Stone tablets of different sizes, inscribed in Sanskrit using the Kutila script (Siddhamatrika).
- Ceramic assemblage is dominated by fine grey ware in various shapes and sizes.
- A lion pedestal (Buddha’s Simhasana) and votive sculptures of Buddhist deities, such as Amoghasiddhi, one of the five wisdom Buddhas of the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition; Ratnasambhava, one of the five meditating Buddhas; Akshobhya, another wisdom Buddhas; Amitabha, one of the most widely worshipped Buddhist figures in Mahayana Buddhism.
Read More: Buddhist excavations in Ratnagiri
Vajrayana Buddhism
- It is also known as Tantric Buddhism and Mantrayana Buddhism. It is a separate tradition in Buddhism that emphasises esoteric (secretive or occult elements) practices and rituals aimed at rapid spiritual awakening.
- This sect of Buddhism started in the 5th century AD, when the Gupta dynasty was ruling the major Northern plains.
- It is widely practiced in Ladakh, Tibet, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Japan.
- Central to Vajrayāna symbolism is the vajra, a ritual implement representing indestructibility and irresistible force, embodying the union of wisdom and compassion.
- Goal of spiritual practice in the Mahayana and Vajrayāna traditions is to become a Sammāsambuddha (fully awakened Buddha); those on this path are termed Bodhisattvas.
- Techniques include: The use of mantras (sacred sounds), dhāraṇīs (mnemonic codes), mudrās (symbolic hand gestures), mandalas (spiritual diagrams), and the visualisation of deities and Buddhas. All these practices help in achieving enlightenment.
- Teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism pass from teacher to students through initiation ceremonies. Nalanda Mahavihara became a major centre of Vajrayana Buddhism.
- It incorporates the concept of deity yoga, where practitioners visualize themselves as deities embodying enlightened qualities.
- The tradition also acknowledges the role of feminine energy, venerating female Buddhas and ḍākiṇīs (spiritual beings) which was missing in Hinyana and Mahayana traditions.
- Tibetan Buddhism, Japanese or Shingon Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism took a lot of influence from Vajrayana Buddhism.